Rights of ‘clean’ athletes must be protected - IOC commission chair

Earlier in the day, the IOC Executive Board ruled to allow Russia’s clean athletes to take part in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games

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LAUSANNE /Switzerland/, December 5. /TASS/. The rights of Russian athletes not guilty of doping violations must be protected, IOC Commission Chair Samuel Schmid said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the IOC Executive Board ruled to allow Russia’s clean athletes to take part in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea’s PyeongChang in the status of neutral athletes, while the country’s national squad was officially barred from participating in the upcoming Games. The 2018 Winter Olympics will take place on February 5-21.

"Those responsible [for alleged doping manipulations in Russia] must be punished. The sanctions may include the uniform, the flag and the anthem. At the same time, the rights of clean Russian athletes must be protected," Schmid said.

"Besides, the [IOC’s] expenditures for conducting the procedures must be included in the sanctions," the chair of the IOC commission said.

Last year, the WADA Independent Commission headed by Richard McLaren, released a report summing up the results of an investigation into the alleged violations of anti-doping rules during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. In July 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set up two commissions to look into the information provided by McLaren. Samuel Schmid’s commission looked into the alleged involvement of Russia’s Sports Ministry in a possible cover-up of doping violations. The other commission, headed by Denis Oswald, is retesting doping samples taken at the 2014 Olympics.